Jacoby Ellsbury kept his bat hot and Michael Pineda gave the Yankees a strong start, as they rebounded to defeat the Blue Jays 6-3 after suffering a tough loss the night before.
Pineda went eight innings, giving up five hits and no runs while striking out six on 101 pitches, giving the middle of the bullpen much needed rest. The only real trouble Pineda ran into was in the third, when he stranded runners on second and third.
Before Pineda could even take the mound, he had a 2-0 lead. Ellsbury extended his hit-streak to eight games after his leadoff single. Brett Gardner doubled, putting runners on 2nd and third for Alex Rodriguez who ripped a double of his own. The double broke A-Rod’s tie with Willie Mays on the all-time doubles list. A-Rod is now tied for 43rd with Ken Griffey Jr.
Ellsbury, who finished tonight’s game going 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, singled home Gregorio Petit in the top of the second, pushing the score to 3-0. Mark Teixeira then padded the lead with a two-run homer in the fifth, a good sign for the Yankees after Girardi revealed that Teix has been dealing with a nagging lat injury. The homer knocked Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada out of the game.
Didi Gregorius chipped in with an RBI single in the eighth, which made the score 6-0. David Carpenter was called on to finish the game but allowed three runs, forcing Girardi to reluctantly bring in closer Andrew Miller. The Jays were able to bring the tying run to the plate, but Miller got Edwin Encarnacion to pop out to right field to end the game.
Win: Pineda (4-0)
Loss: Estrada (1-1)
Save: Miller (11)
Notables
Yankees
Ellsbury – 3-for-5, two SB’s (11), extends hit-streak to eight games
Teixeira – 1-for-4, HR (10), two RBI (20)
Rodriguez – 1-for-5, 2B (5), two RBI (16)
Blue Jays
Russell Martin – 3-for-4, two 2B (7), HR (6), RBI (17)
Chris Colabello – 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI (1)
Current Yankees record: 17-10
Current Blue Jays record: 13-15
